A letter to your future self

To remain an artist when you grow up

At the end of the semester, I often ask students in my classes at Marquette University to write a letter to their future self with the lessons they learned. I find this is an effective way to not only look back at the semester, but look ahead to what they want to retain long after the final is finished. I save the letters and then track students down before graduation to return their words to them. Below is a compilation of advice one class shared.

Hello, it’s me. I was wondering… Remember that song? I’m sure Adele has come out with her album “43” by now. But I digress.

A big thing I’ve been thinking about lately is it’s never too late — life isn’t an upward climb until you reach a pinnacle and you’ve done everything you wanted to do. The idea that it’s too late is comical. It’s ridiculous.

This quote by Pablo Picasso spoke to me: “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist when you grow up.”

So stop and look around you once in a while. The world is awesome!!! Wherever you’re living has so much to offer that could expand your mind and creativity.

Stop saying you aren’t creative. You are!